Surface treating machine



Aug, 17, 1943, y V K ET AL (2,327,229

SURFACE TREATING MACHINE Filed May 4, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 34 l-TE Q Jazz/5 MIT/2min, Kim/v5 m" [I A TAi W.

1943- L. VAVRIK ET AL 2,3272% v SURFACE TREATING MACHINE Filed May 4, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I 1 vucwbow jazz/5 Him/5K, KZW/VFZE 5A TK N Patented Aug-17, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT-- OFFICE 1 f tssmza I v SURFACE,TREATING'MACHHNE Louis Vavrilr, Rossford, and Kenneth C. Atkin,

. Toledo, hio,'assignors to The American Floor Surfacing Machine Company, Toledo, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application May i, 1942, Serial Nb. 441, 34. r

. 9 Claims. (01. 206-11) This invention relatesto machines adapted for abrading, polishing or scrubbing surfaces, and is herein illustrated in connection with a horizontally rotating brush type of machine used for polishing and scrubbing.

In hand machines of this character, having a horizontally rotatable surface treating element, the entire weight of the machine during operation is customarily borne by such element, which rests on the surface being treated, and .a truck is provided at the rear of the machine frame or housing andadapted to be placed in raised or.

inoperative position, or to be lowered into a usable positionto facilitate moving the machine from place to place when not operating or to serve as a supporting fulcrum to assist in regulating the working pressure of the treating element. An object of the invention is the provision of a novel mounting and adjustment control for a.

truck in a machine of the class described, whereby the operator, by foot action,can easily and quickly place the truck in one or the other of its positions.

Anotherobject of the invention is the provision in a machine of the classdescribe'd of simple, novel and efficient means for attaching a handle tothe machine body in a manner to permit ready tilting adjustment of thehandle and also to facilitate easy and quick engagement with or disengagement from the body.

Another object oi the invention is'the provision, in connection with the body housing of a machine of this character, of aunitary structure comprising the handle, the truck and the mounting and control means therefor, which structure may be mounted onor removed from the body as a unit, whereby to enhance the practicability and commercial value of such machines.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, and from the accompanying drawings illustrating one embodiment thereof, in which- Figure 1 is a top planviewof a machine em bodying the invention, with a part broken away; Fig. 2 is an enlarged "fragmentary side elevation thereof, with parts of the structure embodying the invention broken away, and with the truck in raised position; Fig; 3 is a rear view of the machine, with the handlefremoved and with the truck lowered and partly broken away; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4.4 inFig. 2; Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section of themachine taken on" the line 55 in Fig. 6, with the truck lowered; Fig. 6 is'an' enlarged vertical frag-' rnentary longitudinal section on the lined-6 in Fig. l, with the truck lowered and the handle in position for disengagement fromits mounting part; Fig; 7 is a front perspective view of the unitary structureembodying the invention 'removed from the machine, with the truck in lowcred positionfand with, parts broken away and one truck wheel removed; Fig. 8 is areal perspective.viewof' portions of said structure, with the foot'control member. partly broken away and in raised position, and Fig. 9 is. a perspective view of the inner end portion of the handle unitremoved from the machine. j

Referringto the drawings,.l designates the body housing of a machine embodying the invention, which has, in the present instance, a. substantially centrally disposed top turret. part 2 forenclosing'. a mo'ton'ar'id has atits front bottom portion a horizontally rotatable brush or other fioortreating element 3, which is driven from the motor through a suitable power transmission within-the housing, aswell understood in. the art. While theishape ofthe housing is not material from the standpoi'ntoi invention, the general shapesh'own. is common to this. class of machines wherein the front portion of the housing is cir cular in plan to conformto the form of the treating tool 3 and the back portion thereof is real"- wardly enlarged or prolongedto provide sufiicient space for the, attachment of the handle 4. This back portion also provides an open-bottom space. or compartment 5 forre'ceiving the'supporting truck for'the machine.

For the purpose of the invention, the rear end and top of said back housing portion isprovidedv midway betweenuits sides with an opening 6 which extends from the lower rear edge of the housing up over the space 5, as shown.

The structure embodying the invention includes the handle 4, a mounting-base l6 for-the handle, a truck. II and a truck control lever or pedal member l2, the truck andlever being carried by the base. H a

The base It! ismounted on the rear end portion of the housing I over the opening 6, with its edge in overlapping relation to the marginaledge wall ofsaiclyopening and securedfthereto by screws, or in any other. suitable manner. The upper end portion of the base, within its marginal side and'upperendedge portions, i bowed upwardly to form a dome l5,and thelower end' portion of the base is notchedin inverted U-fo'rm" to form the side legs [6 and the notch or opening l'ltherebetween. The'domfe l5 is'of arcuateform in verticalcross-section lengthwise-of the ma and is provided centrally of its sides with a.

forwardly and rearwardly extending slot 18, which extends a distance down the front side of the dome and has its rear end opening into the notch l1.

The handle 4 has a hollow foot part 20 of substantially tubular form in cross-section, in the present instance, and provided at its lower end with an edge flange or flare 21. This edge flange is of arcuate shape to adapt it to conform to and fit over the arcuate dome IS with its side edge portions resting on the dome at each'side of the slot l8.

A forked lug 22 projects inwardly from the forward portion of the flange 2| through the dome slot [8 and has a clamping lever 23 pivoted thereto at one end and projecting therefrom outwardly through the slot is and into the hollow of the foot part 20. Cross fingers 24 are provided on thelever within the dome l and are adapted to have clamping engagement with the inner marginal edge portions of the slot walls in opposition to the foot flangeZI when pressure is applied to the free end portion of the lever in the direction of the clamping action, as is apparent by reference to Figs. 2 and 6. A spring 25 acts to normally retain the lever out of clamping engagement, with the dome wall, and a hand operated screw 26 is threaded through the'wall of the foot 20 and is adapted to engage and impart a clamping movement to the lever. It is apparent with this manner of mounting the handle 4 that'it can be swung to any position of adjustment within a long are and easily and quickly clamped in any such position.

The handle 4 can be easily and quickly placed in assembled relation to the base for separated therefrom by moving the handle to a position in which the cross fingers 24 of the lever 23 register with the opening I! below the lower rear end of the slot l8, so that when the lugs 22 and inner end of'the lever 23 are inserted through the slot thecross fingers 24 will pass through said opening into a position that, upon an upward swinging of the handle, will place the cross fingers 24 within the inner edges of the slot walls, as shown in Fig. 6. Thereverse action, of course, takes place in separating the handle from the base. It is apparent that the opening 11, so far as the slot I8 is concerned, constitutes a lateral enlargement of said slot through which the lever fingers 24 may be passed and, while it is preferable to position such enlargement at the rear end of the slot, it maybe placed at any desired point therein.

The supporting truck H includes a pair of wheels 30, 30, mounted on the ends of an axle or on stub shafts 3i carried by and projectin from opposite ends of the outer edge portion of a bolster 32. This bolster projects rearwardly from the axle and is pivotally connected at its inner or rear edge to bosses 33 on the lower end portions of the respective base legs [6 at their inner sides, as shown at 34, and is adapted to have limited swinging movements in a vertical plane. Springs 35 act on the bolster 32 'to normally retain the truck retracted in inoperative position within the compartment 5, asshown in Fig. 2, and the truck is forced down to usable position, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, by a depression of the foot lever or pedal 12.

The foot lever I2 is preferably of plate form, being substantially the width of the base opening 11 in which it is mounted, and is provided at its inner end with a cross shaft 3! that is journaled at its ends in bosses 38 depending from the respective upper side wall portions of the dome part l5; On the under side of the foot lever I2 is provided a web 39 forming a cam which, in the present instance, when the lever is raised, coacts with the upper side of the bolster 32 to limit its upward movements, and, when the lever is lowered to the position shown in Fig. 6, coacts with the bolster to force the truck down into usable position and hold it there. The springs 35, in the present instance, connect the truck and foot lever and tend to hold them in engaged relation. It is apparent that the manner of coaction of the cam 39 with the bolster 32 causes the footlever to be yieldingly retained in either its raised or lowered position of adjustment. The foot lever is raised from the lowered position shown in Fig. 6 by the operator engaging under and raising up on the lower edge of the lever with the toe of one foot and is lowered by a downward pressure of a foot on the lever.

The wiring 151 for the motor control extends down through the handle 4 and its foot 23 through the slot i3 and into the interior of the dome part l5, where it may have a releasable plug connection 4| with the motor wiring. When the foot lever i2 is lowered, the operator may reach into the dome part through the upper portion of the rear opening I! to engage or disengage the connection 4|.

It is apparent from the foregoing that the truck it may be raised or lowered by movement of the foot lever l2 and that when such lever is raised the truck is raised due to the action of the springs 35 and when the lever is lowered the web 39 thereon has camming coaction with the bolster 32 to force it down to usable position and hold it in such position until the foot lever has again been raised. It is also apparent that the manner of mounting'the handle 4 enables it to be easily and quickly assembled with its mounting base 10 by merely placing the handle in substantially the rearwardly reclining position shown in Fig. 6 and then moving its foot piece 28 into seating engagement with-the rear side of the dome part [5 while at the same time the lugs 22 and lever 23 are projected inwardly through the dome slot l8 and the cross or clamping fingers 24 pass through the registering broadened or'enlarged portion of the slot, which, in the present instance, is the upper end portion of the opening l! in the base it). This having been done, the handle is swung up to any desired usable position or to vertical position, if desired, and is releasably held in any such position by a turning in of the screw 25 which moves the lever 23 to cause its lugs or fingers 26 to have clamping engagement with the inner marginal edge walls of the slot in opposition to the seating action of the foot piece 20 on the dome part. V

We wish it understood that our invention is not limited to any specific construction, arrangement or form of the parts, a it is capable of numerous modifications and changes without departing from the spirit of the claims.

Claims to the truck mounting and adjusting feature of the invention are included in a copending application Serial No. 467,112.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is:

1. In a machine of the class described, a body part having a slot with an undercut wall therein,

a handle adapted. tohave its inner end bear against the outer side of said part over said slot for transverse movements lengthwise of the slot, and a lever carried by thehanclle and operable to clamp said part inwardly of the slot in opposition to the handle to hold the handle in adjusted relation to the part.

'2. A structure as called for by claim 1, wherein the lever has a laterally projecting clamping portion and the slot has an enlargement therein through which said portion may be moved in assembling-or disassambling the part and handle.

3, In a machine of the class described, a body part having an upwardly facing slot therein with an undercut wall, a handle having a base portion for seating on said part over the slot and movable lengthwise of the slot to adjust the position of the handle, and means carried by the handle and releasably operable to clamp the undercut wall of the slot in opposition to the handle base to hold the handle in adjusted position.

4. A structure as called for by claim 3, wherein said slot has an enlargement for the clamping portion of said means to pass through during assembling or disassembling of the part and handle when the latter is at a predetermined point inan adjusting movement thereof.

5. In a machine of the class described, a protuberant wall part curved in a vertical forwardly and rearwardly extending plane and having a slot lengthwise of said plane, a handle having a base portion seating in complemental relation on said part crosswise of the slot and for swinging adjusting movements on the part lengthwise of the slot, and means projecting through the slot from and carried by the handle and operable to clamp the inner side of the wall part in opposition to the handle base to hold the handle in adj usted position.

6. A structure as called for in claim 5, wherein the slot has an enlargement in an end portion through which the wall clamping part of said means may be passed in assembling and disassembling the wall part and handle.

7. In a machine of the class described, a hollow protuberant part curved in a vertical forwardly and rearwardly extending plane and having a slot lengthwise of said plane, a handle having a hollow foot portion seating on said part over said slot, and having a portion projecting inwardly through the slot, a lever pivoted to said portion and projecting outward through the slot and into said foot and provided with a laterally projecting finger for clamping engagement with an inner edge wall of the slot in opposition to said foot when the lever is moved for such purpose, and means carried by the foot and operable to impart clamping movements to the lever, said handle being capable of swinging adjustment on said part lengthwise of the slot when the lever is released.

8. Ina machine of the class described, the combination with the body housing, of a unit handle assembly including a dome-shaped base member removably mounted on the housing and having a slot with an undercut wall therein and extending lengthwise of the housing, a handle having an inner end portion for seating against the outer side of said base member over said slot for transverse swinging movements lengthwise of the slot, and means carried by the handle and projecting through the slot and operable to have clamping coaction with the undercut wall of the slot to secure the handle in adjusted relation to the base member.

9. In a machine of the class described, the combination with the body housing, of a unit handle assembly including an upward protuberant base member mounted on the housing and having a curved top with a slot therein lengthwise of the housing, a handle carried by said member for forward and rearward swinging adjustment relative thereto and having a part bearing on said curved top and a part projecting through said slot, and 'means carried by said handle and operable to releasably engage the base member interiorly of said slot and in opposition to said handle bearing part to hold said handle in any position of adjustment on the base member lengthwise of its slot.

LOUIS VAVRIK. KENNETH C. ATKIN. 

